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Tag Archives: InStyler

Friday should be easy. Maybe something on this list can make your life a little easier.

Makeup Brush Folder: I have a confession. I love makeup brushes.

Seriously. That’s the confession. What were you expecting? And do I really want to know? If you tell me, remember that this site is rated G. Yes?

As confessions go, I guess it’s not as salacious or as interesting or even as unusual as it could be. Still. It’s not something that I readily admit.

I don’t know why. I guess that says more about me than my confession.

Anyway. Goodbye Therapist. Hello Topic: I own lots of makeup brushes. And with organization being a particular, well, issue of mine I feel extremely particular about, you know that I have to have some serious makeup brush organization methodology happening in the bathroom.

The outside.

There’s a reveal…

Wait for it…

And… the Beauty Shot!

I made it. The exterior black and white fabric is a light weight cotton (washable!) upholstery fabric I picked up somewhere. The interior is black cotton and scarlet red batik cotton. There is 100% cotton batting in between the layers of fabric. I’m stressing the cotton part here because it’s all completely hand-washable. I am a goofy klutz and makeup stains fabric if you can’t give it a good scrub; wash-ability is important.

There are three levels of pockets. There are so many little dividers that I don’t have enough brushes to fill them all. This is good. I’m fairly certain that the thing wouldn’t close if it were full. Still, there’s plenty of room to move things around, organizing, until I’m happy.

The InStyler Case: I made this case for the trip that didn’t happen due to the most untimely death of my old computer. I dearly love my InStyler and I wanted to make sure it was safe and protected. The case that came with it just didn’t seem sufficient for the job. Enter the fabric hoard!

I dithered about what part of my fabric stash I should use and finally settled on the three lovely fat quarters from Moda’s Salt Air by Cosmo Cricket. I love the collection and I’d been saving it for something special. So into the washer it went!

Out of the dryer it came… with runny red spots all over it. Argh. The red bled. I’ve never had this problem with a Moda fabric before and was a bit steamed. (Read “steamed” as “madder than I’ve been a good long while”. My Etchings Argyle Nine Patch is made of a good bit of red Moda fabric… and I didn’t pre-wash it. I’m afraid of what’s going to happen after I wash it the first time.)

I decided that I’d bravely use it anyway. So I did. It was garbage. Unfortunately, I couldn’t blame the red splotchy fabric for it.

I didn’t use a pattern; I complicated everything unnecessarily; and I was making it up as I went. It showed. I started over using a simple, drawstring bag idea with a pocket on the outside for the cord. Here’s the result.

I love this fabric. I wish it didn’t make me worry.

At least you can’t see the spots in the picture.

I’m really happy with the results, red spots and all. Now, let’s all pray that the quilt top I just finished using Moda red fabric doesn’t bleed, too. I’m lighting a candle.

InStyler: The older I get, the more apparent it becomes that I am cursed blessed with my maternal grandmother’s hair. She was lovely, but her hair was problematic: thin and wiry.

The InStyler saves me from hair nightmares. It smooths out all the kinks and waves.

Love this so much…

Mugs: Not just for coffee! Mugs are wonderful little cups of organization that can fit practically anywhere.

My Les Mis Mug organizes a corner of my desk at fig+fence HQ.

Also, it helps me keep track of all the pens that somehow mysteriously wander off when I’m not around. Must be more house elf action: pens and pin cushions. Ahem. They must love homophones.

College Writing References: I never threw my grammar textbooks/reference books away when I graduated from college. I have the Harbrace College Handbook (11th Edition) and A Writer’s Reference (2nd Edition) by Diana Hacker. I love them both, and I usually reach for the red Harbrace first out of habit (it’s on top) when I get grammatically stuck. Alas, it failed me. Only the Hacker book explained: two words that sound the same but have different spellings are called homophones (like pin and pen).

My tendency to write like Bulwer-Lytton is not the fault of either book.